“Come on, Sugar, you brought it up.” Kirk laid down the comb and wrapped his arms around me.
I closed my eyes and drifted into his warmth. “I always had a thing for Peter, but they were good together. I don’t know what happened, but she started hanging out with an ex. She and Peter got into a fight then Chey and her ex went out and blew half of her rent money on booze. We got into it and she moved back with Mom and Dad. She wanted an apology. I wanted an apology. We were at a standstill.”
“I imagine she’s at least half as stubborn as you.”
“She found out she was pregnant after our big fight…. I didn’t handle that too well either.” The surge of guilt churned my stomach, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to be thinking about things I couldn’t fix—especially the ones I might not get the chance to fix. I moaned and used the back of the couch to pull myself up. “Are you going to leave my hair half done?”
I managed to stay conscious as Kirk spent the next half hour working though all of the knots in my hair until it fell around my shoulders again in smooth strait strands.
“You’re good,” I mumbled, curling up against his chest.
“Try to sleep.” He kissed the top of my head and tucked a blanket around me.
“Keep the nightmares away.”
I woke up with my head in Kirk’s lap, staring up into his sparkling blue eyes.
“What are you grinning about?” he asked.
“No dreams that time,” I lied.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and I suspected he saw right through my lie. He saved me and he protected me. It wasn’t a stretch to say that the more I learned about him, the more I adored him.
That also frightened me.
He said that letting me in would only make things harder in the long run because for us, he never expected a long run. I’d be his until he finished the job, and then I’d be on my own again. On my own to deal with the memories and the nightmares.
“Come back to me,” Kirk said, brushing his thumb over my lips.
“I’m here.”
“Your mind isn’t.”
I didn’t want it to be. He broke down my defenses too easily now, but I pressed a smile to my sore face. “So, what’s next, boss?”
“You heal.”
“You’re not in trouble for—”
“I told you I wouldn’t be. The meeting was about the others. We have to deal with everyone who can’t be trusted. Soon.” he breathed, “Milo is coming in two weeks. Ross said he held it off so we could finish getting everything cleaned up. I think he’s worried about keeping his job after all of this.”
That was the most terrifying good news I’d ever heard. “That means you’ll have your chance. We just have to play it off for a couple of weeks.”
A couple weeks—more torment—and then I’d lose him.
I told myself to stop getting attached, to remember that what we had wasn’t real. It was a product of the circumstances. There was no evidence that the two of us would ever work outside of this environment. Hell, there was no way we’d be together any other way. If the two of us had passed in a bar a month ago, I wouldn’t have turned my head, and I doubted that he would have either.
Whatever connection we had wasn’t real.
It wasn’t meant to last.
Initiation
After a peaceful week, I know it was wishful thinking that we’d make it through the weekend without anyone bothering us, and the early-evening knock on the door confirmed it. I pulled the blanket over myself and flattened out on the couch where no one could see me. Covered in swollen bruises, being violated by Gabe and his crew had made me even more anti-social than normal.
Kirk understood, but I doubted anyone else would—especially not Ross. He was the one person I couldn’t bear to see. Except a resurrected Gabe, but he was a frequent visitor to my dreams.
I briefly heard muffled voices then the door closed.
“It’s for you,” Kirk said, holding out a box.
“Unless it’s chocolate, send it back.” I sat up just long enough for Kirk to reclaim his seat at the end of the couch, and then I laid my head on his lap.
“It’s from Ross,” he laid it on my stomach, but I drew my hands away from it.
“Definitely send it back.” I was sure Ross didn’t like me much and Kirk was now on his bad side, too. Probably more so than he was willing to admit.
I wanted to know the details so I’d know what to expect, but even more, I didn’t want to know anything anymore. I didn’t want to know who Kirk really was, to wrestle with the things both of us had to do to survive.
It was bad enough when I was only concerned with myself. Now, I was terrified of doing something that might give him away.
“Just open it, Silver. It really can’t be as bad as you’re currently imagining.”
“How do you know?” I lifted the box and pressed it to his chest. “You want to know, you open it.”
Shaking his head, he jerked the box away and popped off the top. He laid the box on the arm of the couch and pulled out a snakeskin tube dress with huge cut outs running down each side.
“Swanky,” I mused.
“There’s a matching thong.”
I stifled a laugh at his exaggerated enthusiasm and it hurt like hell, but humor was more valuable than pain. “Lookie there, our rat-skinned Master thinks of everything.”
Kirk chuckled, dropping the lingerie back into the box. It was rare to see him with a genuine smile, the kind that tightened the skin around his eyes and brought out his dimples. “Just wait.”
I heard something else move in the box and he pulled out a pair of stiletto heels with silver snakes coiled around the spike.
“I’d kill myself,” I said, instantly losing the humor. “That’s like a six inch heel.”
Kirk flicked his eyebrow up then ran his hand over his mouth.
“There’s more?” I asked.
“You’re to wear them to the Outlook tonight.”
“Tonight?” I pulled myself up into a seated position. “I have more dark spots than an over ripe banana.”
The corner of his mouth turned up as he dropped everything into the box and tossed it under the coffee table.
The hardest part about knowing his secret and actually understanding him, was that I cared about how he felt. Distant and brooding meant he was going to have to do something he didn’t want to do.
I swung my leg over his lap, straddling him in an attempt to distract him and at least avoid the brunt of his sullen side for a moment.
“Silver,” he breathed, putting his hands on my hips. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? We still have a whole hour before we have to worry about anything that happens at the Outlook.”
“I need to go talk to Ross.” Kirk began to lift me up, but I shifted my weight to delay him.
“Why? I mean, I get that you want to protect me from whatever he has planned, but we should just do what he says.”
Kirk grimaced and leaned his head back. “Since when are you gung-ho to do anything anyone says?”
“I don’t want to die here—”
“You won’t.”
“Not if we both keep playing our parts. You get too soft on me. He already sees it, so just…,” I shook my head. I couldn’t believe the words that were about to come out of my mouth. “Let him do what he wants to do.”
I didn’t think Ross had asked us to the Outlook out of concern for my condition and recovery. Initiation. The word flooded my mind. I knew it was coming. I hadn’t even healed from the last attack, part of me hoped that meant he’d take it easy on me, but I doubted it. As we entered the giant twelfth-story club, I wanted to press myself against Kirk, a single whiff of him, the touch of his skin, anything to calm the growing panic inside of me.
One thing I had on my side while I was injured was the pain meds, even though Kirk had taken me down to half a pill at a time. They didn’t make walking in stilettos easy, however.
Kirk took a seat at the table, and I knelt next to him, holding back my grunt of pain as my stiff body settled into the uncomfortable position.
“She really is a tough girl,” Ross mused.
“She is,” Kirk cupped my cheek. “And she’s still healing. I guess we all underestimated Gabe’s vindictive streak.”
Ross scoffed. I glanced around, usually he had at least one slave at his feet, but today there were no other slaves around. Three other men entered the room, but I didn’t recognize any of them.
“Ross….” Kirk growled.
My stomach flipped and churned, the sound of his voice validated my fears.
I struggled to catch my breath.
Miles paused at the doorway and scanned the room. So far, he was the only one to enter with a slave.
Looking under the table, I managed to catch a peek at Alley’s face as she sat down, but she bit her lip and kept her eyes down.
My heart pounded, and my body started to shake.
Please, I begged an invisible power, biting into my lip.
“She’s hurt; she’s not ready for this.”
“She’s out of time,” Ross hissed. “One chance to prove herself before Milo gets here.”
Six men and two slaves. That was eerily close to the odds I’d faced when I woke up in the basement. Keep it together, Silver. Only a little longer.
I could hear their voices over me, but not a single syllable registered as having any meaning. The tendons of Kirk’s hand pulsed as he fisted it against his leg. I wasn’t the only one struggling to keep up the show.
Ross stood, looking down on me, and I heard my name, just before his hand clamped down on my collar and pulled me to my feet. My feet slid out of the shoes as I stumbled toward him.
I was actually quite thankful to be rid of the shoes. At least I wouldn’t be ending the night with a broken ankle—I hoped.
As we passed, Kirk took a deep breath but didn’t otherwise move.
I followed Ross—although it wasn’t as if I had a choice since he was dragging me by the metal ring around my neck. He placed me in front of a small table. It was as tall as his waist and just big enough for a person to lay on.
He lifted me on to it and pushed me back. My muscles were tense, but I tried not to resist as he positioned me so that my head rested against what looked like a movable portion.
“I hear you’re good with your mouth,” Ross said, pressing two fingers to my lips. I opened my mouth and he shoved them inside, straight to the back of my throat. I gagged, pulling in a breath of air through my nose and trying not to clamp down on the invading fingers.
“Good girl,” he whispered, “Definitely gaining control of your body. That’ll help.”
Shit. My brain rambled off every curse word I’d ever heard.
Ross slid his fingers out, then back in. I jerked with my gag reflex then forced myself to breath past it again. “Kirk, strap your lovely slave down.”
I saw Kirk shake his head slightly then approach. He picked up a cuff that was chained to the bottom corner of the table, and pulled my leg to the edge, rubbing the inside of my ankle with his thumb as he fastened the buckle. He then repeated the same thing on the other leg.
The next strap went over my chest, just below the still bruised ribs and right on top of where one of Gabe’s men had punched me. I winced as Kirk tightened it, but Ross simply turned back toward his guests.
“You okay?” Kirk mouthed.
I shook my head, feeling like I was about to cry.
“Pain?”
I closed my eyes, pushing back the tears, and shook my head again.
The men around the table erupted into laughter and stood. My heart beat so fast I couldn’t even think straight. Everything in the room slowed as Kirk lowered the flap on the table under my head then stepped away. The three men I didn’t recognize circled me.
I forced myself to keep breathing, long deep breaths for as long as I could manage. I promised Kirk I could do this. I promised I could take anything they put me through just to bring them all down.
Just get through it.
The first man approached, tangling his fingers in my hair and pulling it tight.
“Beautiful girl,” he said in a strange accent. Then he undid his pants and pulled out his cock.
Kirk. I cried out in my head. I lied. I can’t do it.
Stroking it slowly next to my head, the other men, including Ross followed suit. Kirk touched Ross’ arm and whispered something in his ear. Ross frowned then nodded, without ever taking his eyes off me.
The first man pulled my head back and pressed his cock to my lips. I opened, and he pressed forward until I gagged. He paused, not withdrawing, just waiting.
As soon as I suppressed my gag reflex, he pushed deeper until it pressed painfully against the back of my throat. I struggled to take a single breath without biting down.
He slowly moved out then thrust back in again. I jerked.
I was strapped down, so the only thing I could do was lay there and take it. I concentrated on breathing and not gagging so hard that I would clench my jaw closed.
He thrust in and out slowly a few times, coating my tongue with his musky salty taste. Then he picked up the pace, slamming into the back of my throat with every thrust. I fisted my hands at my sides, feeling my body shake with the effort to stay in control.
Ironically, I was glad to be tied down. At least then I didn’t have to worry about what the rest of my body was doing as well.
He pulled out a final time then stepped back for the next man to take his turn.
A new cock was shoved down my throat, thicker but shorter, so not every thrust hit the back of my throat as forcefully. But when he pressed in completely, it blocked off my windpipe entirely. He held it down, watching me struggle for air and then backed off before repeating the same thing.
The struggle aggravated all of my previous injuries and before much longer I was buried in a fog of pain and confusion.
Ross was next with his long slender shaft. Every thrust was fast and powerful, pushing as deep as possible. I started to cough around it, but it only spurred him to move faster.
He pulled out and I choked in a breath of air.
“You look so nice for your Master tonight.” He leaned his face closer to mine, rubbing his hand over my neck and down my sternum. “It was a fitting ensemble, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Master,” I whispered. Involuntary tears slipped out of my eyes from the gagging and the stabbing pain in my lungs.
He smirked, tracing my chin with his fingertips. “It’s not really fair that your Master is standing by and not having any fun.” He straightened and licked his lips, then pointed to a chair that had been pushed up against the wall. “Kirk, have a seat and whip it out.”
Kirk wouldn’t meet my gaze as he walked by and took a seat. He unzipped his pants and pulled out his half hard cock.
“Alley,” Ross said, waving to Kirk. “Take care of him.”
I saw Alley make eye contact with Miles before she dropped to her knees and took Kirk in her mouth.
I wanted to clench my jaw, or look away, but Ross had positioned him perfectly so that even if I didn’t look over, I could see the motion in my peripheral vision.
Mother fucker.
“Well, what do you think of that?”
“Whatever pleases him.” I had to force it out, but I hoped that the raspiness caused by my sore throat covered it up enough.
Ross stepped away and the fourth man took my hair, smacking my face before he slipped his cock in my mouth.
I heard Kirk grunt, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of Alley or the man smacking me.
This man thrust in slowly, easing his cock down my throat every time. I wasn’t sure if I was becoming numb to it, or better at controlling the gagging, but I managed to take him without my entire body convulsing.
The rest of the men gathered at the side of the table, rubbing my skin while they violently tugged at their
own shafts waiting for their next turn.
Please, make it end, I begged silently.
The first man came up again. This time, he wrapped both hands in my hair, pulling it with each thrust. I tugged at all of the restraints, trying to catch a breath, but he forced himself deeper and I gagged harder with each thrust. My gut clenched, setting my bruises on fire.
I heard Kirk grunt again. And this time there was no doubt in my mind what caused it. The sound was familiar. I could see the way his body tensed just before coming. My hatred for Ross tightened every muscle and thickened my muscle until I felt like my body was hardening to cement. He wanted to torture us both, to fuck with both of our minds. So, instead of falling into his sick game, I let my mind latch on to his sounds even though I resented that they were caused by Alley.
I concentrated on our connection, remembering his tongue on my skin, his lips on mine, the sensations that relaxed my body and quieted my mind. I’d finally found a piece of that place where I could hide from the attacks.
The first man jerked and spasmed then pulled out of my mouth, spilling his liquid on my face. It dripped into my mouth and nose, making it even harder to breath. I swallowed, and barely got my mouth open in time for Ross shove his cock in my mouth again.
He squeezed my breasts as he pumped into my throat. Three quick pumps, then he’d hold it there, in my throat blocking off my oxygen. I tried to time my breathing accordingly, but every time I adapted, he threw off his rhythm slightly to block off my airway as soon as I exhaled.
My grunts, shaking, and flailing must have pushed him over the edge. He came in the back of my throat and I struggled to swallow it before my chest demanded that I inhale.
It didn’t entirely work.
I coughed and jerked, feeling the liquid in my mouth, and throat. All over my face. The room dimmed as the lack of oxygen set in.
I heard voices around me, laughter.
I faded back into the room with Gabe. I turned my head, focusing on Kirk. Miles now stood next to him, with a hand on Kirks’ shoulder as if he was holding him there.
Irrevocable: A Sins of Ashville Abduction Dark Romance (Irrevocable Duet Book 1) Page 22